Category: MIL-OSI

Last updated: Friday 18 March 2022

Learning about summer farming in what she knows as the middle of winter took a little getting used to for American student Katie Owens, but she says the knowledge gained from her virtual study abroad experience at Massey was interesting and informative.

“I enjoyed learning about farming and livestock from a different perspective than how we do in the United States, and it was cool to learn about deer farming since we don’t have that here. But it was just a bit weird talking about farming in the opposite months that we would here in the United States.”

The Animal Sciences student is currently studying at the University of Kentucky in Lexington USA and has just completed a Virtual Study Abroad programme at Massey during Semester 2, 2021. While she initially struggled with the time difference between Kentucky and New Zealand, Katie found the 24 hour window to complete assessments helped her keep up with the workload.

“Everyone I spoke to was super nice and really welcoming. If I ever had any questions, I would just email the course instructor who was really helpful. I feel like my course with Massey there were a lot more lecturers and topics covered than what we have in the US, so it was worth the effort as I got a lot out of the course.”

Katie plans to become a veterinary assistant when she graduates and believes the international perspective from her Virtual Study Abroad experience with Massey will help her future employability.

“It’s not the same as studying overseas but I do feel like virtually studying abroad offers you something that you can’t get in a typical classroom at the moment,” Katie says. “I’ve been able to build these intercultural relationships and have global communications.”

She also has a few kiwi words to add to her vocabulary, relying on Google to translate some of the words she didn’t understand in her programme.

“I’d never heard of the terms “hind” referring to deer or “hogget” when referring to sheep and words like hectares instead of acres, or abattoir were completely new to me. Some of the spellings of words were also different too so I just googled the words to figure it out.”

While studying abroad has been challenging recently due to the COVID pandemic, virtual study abroad courses offer opportunities to gain international and intercultural education experiences for students who are unable to travel.

According to Massey’s Manager Global Engagement (Recruitment and Mobility) Greg Huff, virtual study abroad programmes provide an opportunity to make global education accessible to all.

“Not everyone has the ability to travel due to financial constraints, immigration complications or family situations. While we hope that every student at some point will have an in-person experience, these virtual programmes are still really rewarding.”

Click here to find out more about Virtual Study Abroad at Massey.

Last updated: Thursday 19 January 2023

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins’ slip of the tongue has taken out New Zealand’s Quote of the Year competition, beating a toddler’s response to seeing a goat by a mere 0.5 per cent of votes.

The quotes were neck to neck throughout the polling, which had a record 8,296 votes cast.

Hipkins’ slip of the tongue occurred during a press conference in August when he accidentally referred to New Zealanders going outside to “spread their legs”. The unusual health advice brought raised eyebrows from Dr Ashley Bloomfield who was standing next to him. The gaffe attracted 38.9 per cent of the votes.

The runner-up, with 38.4% of the votes, was “No, it’s a f…ing goat!” The quote is from footage of a Christchurch mother and her two-year-old daughter seeing a goat in their garden. Mimicking her mother’s surprise, the toddler exclaims: “There’s a f…ing goat outside!” Her mother responds: “It’s just a goat,” but the toddler corrects her: “No, it’s a f…ing goat!”

Winners from day one

Massey speech writing specialist and competition organiser Dr Heather Kavan said Hipkins’ and the toddler’s quotes were streaks ahead in the poll within the first hours of voting.

Kavan attributes their success to the light relief they provided during the pandemic. “The videos sparked wit and creativity across the internet as New Zealanders revelled in the footage.

“Almost immediately, Hipkins’ gaffe became a rallying cry to ‘Spread your legs, not the virus,’ and the toddler’s goat quote became an internet sensation.”

The gaffe that energised a nation

The full impact of “spread their legs” may never be known, and there is social media speculation that it could increase New Zealand’s birth rate, Kavan said.

“Twitter users re-imagined the war against COVID-19 through the new salacious lens. Tweet after tweet celebrated Hipkins’ trail-blazing approach and the revised X-rated meaning of ‘Go early; go hard’.

“New Zealanders posted photos of themselves and their pets spreading their legs, while the Royal New Zealand Ballet tweeted photos of its dancers doing sculpture-like leg poses that most of us could only dream of accomplishing.

“There was also a heady remix video with the sign language interpreter’s gestures portrayed as dance moves.”

This is not the first time a slip of the tongue has won Quote of the Year. In 2018, Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges beat top New Zealand comedians in the poll with his accidental reference to deputy Paula Bennett as ‘Paula Benefit’.

The toddler and the goat

Runner-up “No, it’s a f…ing goat!” was an unusual quote for the top ten because of the speaker’s young age. Although the two-year-old’s name was already public, the judges de-identified her in case the list had ramifications for her when she was older.

It was the child’s innocence that wowed voters, Kavan said. “Most of the other speakers had a topic of national importance and a relatively sophisticated vocabulary. But the toddler had a sincerity that viewers loved.”

Like “spread their legs”, the goat quote took on a life of its own, spawning social media commentary and a parody video in which the goat was replaced by footage of Donald Trump dancing. The parody has since been removed from YouTube.

Kavan said her favourite comment was by Twitter user Andrew Frame who imagined how annoyed New Zealand’s 26.16 million sheep must be that the country has gone viral because of a single goat.

Jemima Gazley  

Third place, with 13.8% of the votes, went to a more serious quote—Jemima Gazley’s “If I can’t be cured, I’ll be the cure.” Fourteen-year-old Ms Gazley was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer in February and spent her last weeks crowdfunding to help Australian researcher Dr Matt Dun find a cure.

“If ever a quote told a story, it’s this one. My hope is that Jemima’s family can take some small comfort from knowing her courageous words will endure.” Kavan said.

New Zealand’s Quote of the Year competition began in 2011 and celebrates the country’s best language moments. 

Last updated: Thursday 17 March 2022

Two Massey University lecturers recently spoke at the inaugural International Potato Symposium. The symposium was jointly organised by Massey University and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and was held online on 9 December. Speakers and participants from more than 20 countries, including New Zealand, China, Peru, Canada, and the United States, shared their thoughts and findings.

The symposium was focussed on presenting new knowledge on potato chemistry, nutrition and potato processing and how the potato can play an important role in food security and food sustainability in the next 30 years. Potatoes hold a strong influence in the food and beverage industry, due to their reputation as environmentally sustainable and a healthier plant-based food.

Associate Professor Jaspreet Singh from the School of Food and Advanced Technology says the annual Advances in Potato Chemistry and Technology symposia are timely, as the potato processing industry is looking for new ways to create healthy processed products.

“This symposium will shape the future research direction for this important food source. The purpose of the symposium is to feature high-quality advanced research and knowledge contributed by various potato research groups around the world. Introducing the symposium has encouraged researchers from academia and the potato processing industry to submit their research on the chemistry, nutrition and technology of tuber crops for presentation.

Top issues from healthy potato products to food sustainability and food waste utilisation were discussed at the symposium, through presentations and panel discussions. Some of these included the development of new and disruptive technologies and processes, potato protein as an alternative protein source, healthy potato products, utilisation of potato industry by-products and ‘waste streams’, which contribute towards the United Nations sustainability development goals.

One important presentation was based on “China’s potato staple food policy,” which highlighted the need for sustainable and balanced food utilisation. China is the world’s largest producer of potatoes.

Dr Lovedeep Kaur from the School of Food and Advanced Technology, and Associate Professor Singh, have published two editions of the textbook Advances in Potato Chemistry and Technology, and have recently been invited to publish the third edition. Theirs is the only book published on the subject so far.

Associate Professor Singh added that the symposium was well received by the food science community around the world.

“Participants from several countries joined the symposium to attend presentations by reputed speakers. The symposium highlights were the panel discussion on the future of potato processing and how the potato can contribute to achieving global food security and sustainability, keeping in view the changing consumer trends around health, taste and convenience. It was also great to see the enthusiasm and quality of the presentations by young scientists. Advances in Potato Chemistry and Technologies 2021 Young Scientist Awards were presented at the end of symposium.”

“This symposium fills a gap by providing an opportunity for potato researchers and industry professionals to update their knowledge on potato processing for better future and business opportunities.”

Five students from the School of Built Environment have recently been awarded one-year tertiary scholarships for 2022 through Keystone Trust and their Key Scholarship Partners.

For more than 27 years Keystone Trust has provided support for young people from challenging backgrounds – both financial and circumstantial – to undertake tertiary study towards a professional career in the property and construction industry. The trust has assisted more than 180 rangatahi into the sector, awarding around $2 million in scholarship funding. Wrap-around support is also provided in terms of pastoral care, site visits, career support, mentoring, networking opportunities, introductions to sponsors, work experience and internships, and quite often full-time job offers at the conclusion of their study.

In 2022, Keystone Trust had 10 one-year tertiary scholarships on offer. An invaluable part of these scholarships is the industry connectivity that allows students to grow from the experience of being directly supported and mentored by their Key Scholarship Partner company. Massey students were awarded five scholarships.

Dr Gregory Chawynski, Director of Engagement, School of Built Environment and Senior Lecturer in Construction Management at the Auckland campus, says the School strongly supports and ensures students become eligible for the scholarship.

“Our school ensures all the candidates are screened and interviewed. The successful applicants are people who are determined to succeed and become leaders in the construction industry. We are very proud of the students who receive the scholarship and look forward to seeing what the future holds for them.”

Keystone Trust General Manager, Amanda Stanes, says the trust has had many Massey students go through the programme over the years.

The five students awarded scholarships this year are:

• Matthew Allan – 2022 Keystone Waide Construction Scholarship
• Nathan Murray – 2022 Keystone and Alf Russell Property & Construction Scholarship
• Jason Barker – 2022 Keystone and Miles Construction Scholarship
• Jay Barot – 2022 Keystone Trust and Barnes Beagley Doherr Quantity Surveying Scholarship
• Shae Ridder – 2022 Keystone Hawkins Scholarship

In addition, Keystone Trust has three, three-year Study Award scholarship recipients at Massey ­– one from the College of Creative Arts and two studying at the School of Built Environment. Last year, five Massey University tertiary students from the Auckland and Manawatū campuses received one-year scholarships from Keystone to support their academic journeys.

Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) is considering the historic significance of the Oval on Massey’s Manawatū campus through the adoption of a change to their District Plan. The plan change intends to recognise, protect and maintain the heritage values and character of the area by ensuring its protection through the District Plan.

The university is also working with Heritage New Zealand for the site to be listed on Rārangi Kōrero, the New Zealand Heritage List. Through these nationally significant mechanisms, the university acknowledges its obligations to protect and enhance the heritage value of this important precinct.

The site, to be known as the Turitea Historic Area, encompasses the Oval and the historically iconic buildings that surround it: the Refectory, Sir Geoffrey Peren building, McHardy Hall, the Registry building and Tiritea House.

The Oval itself has significance as one of the first purpose-built areas at Massey University, and for its continuous use since it was formed in 1929. It has further historical significance following its use during World War Two as a staff college by the New Zealand Army, who placed huts on the Oval for accommodation, and built McHardy Hall as the officers’ mess.

For nearly 100 years the Oval has been prized for its garden parties, cricket and other sporting events, and casual and organised student activities, and has been likened to a village green. It has become an area of high social and aesthetic value to both students and staff and is seen as the historic heart of the Manawatū campus.

Massey University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says, “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Palmerston North City Council to progress this important work to recognise the unique value that the Turitea Historic Area holds for the university and the wider community.”

National Facilities Director, Dr David Povey says, “It’s great to see our community and key institutions come together to properly recognise these historically important areas. The Massey property portfolio is large and diverse, and we are lucky to have a number of these heritage areas on our Manawatū campus. It creates a richness to the environment that all can appreciate and enjoy.”

Within the Turitea Historic Area, the university has already recognised the unique and special architecture of both the Sir Geoffrey Peren and Refectory buildings through individual heritage listings on Rārangi Kōrero. The creation of this wider historic area is a rare opportunity to provide heritage protection to the precinct itself. Other important Rārangi Kōrero listings on the wider Manawatū campus include Wharerata, Craiglochart, and Colombo Hall.

The Turitea Historic Area will be the third such designated area in Palmerston North, complementing two other important heritage sites that reflect the mana of the city – the Savage Crescent Conservation Area and the North West Square Heritage Area which encompasses George Street, Coleman Mall and sections of Cuba Street.

The university has worked closely with PNCC planners on this plan change, which is supported by Rangitāne o Manawatū and community stakeholders Historic Places Manawatū and the Palmerston North Defence Heritage Advisory Group.

Listing on Rārangi Kōrero with Heritage New Zealand will commence next year and will include further consultation and engagement with Rangitāne o Manawatū and community stakeholders, as well as an opportunity for current and past students and staff to share memories and contribute to the store of historical material.

Last updated: Friday 25 November 2022

Professor Sarah Riley from the School of Psychology has won the Monograph award at the 2021 British Psychology Society Book Awards.

The academic monograph category celebrates a significant scholarly work that has contributed to, defined or redefined an area of psychological knowledge.

Professor Riley co-authored Post feminism and Health: Critical Psychology and Media Perspectives alongside Associate Professor Adrienne Evans from the Postdigital Cultures Research Centre, Coventry University, United Kingdom and Dr Martine Robson from Aberystwyth University, Wales.

The book, published in Routledge’s Critical Approaches to Health series, is part of the growing field of books on postfeminist studies. Professor Riley studies postfeminism as a set of ideas about ideal femininity that circulate across a range of actors including media, everyday talk between family and friends, advertising, and public institutions.

“I am thrilled,” Professor Riley says. “We thought we had something important to say that would give new insight into the challenges women have when trying to live a good life and be a good health citizen, and we also wanted to offer a direction for bringing psychology and media studies together, so this award really validates what we tried to do. It feels great to have this recognition.”

Last updated: Tuesday 3 October 2023

Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa recently welcomed students, parents and staff from Longburn School and Te Kura o Wairau in Manawatū to celebrate the first graduating class of Children’s University at Massey.

Children’s University is an international charity that partners with local universities to engage children and young people in exciting, out-of-school learning opportunities with an aim to raise their aspirations for higher education and encourage lifelong learning.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Students, Alumni and Global Engagement Tere McGonagle-Daly says, “As lifelong learning is something Massey University strongly believes in, we knew Children’s University was a good fit for us.

“This pilot was the first step in launching this valuable community-focused programme across the North Island. Massey’s Māori name is Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, which means ‘From inception to infinity’. It is a name that celebrates the importance of lifelong learning. Children’s University is about helping young people encounter things that will inspire their learning journey. I’m thrilled that Massey has been entrusted with this programme and look forward to seeing many more graduations like this one.”

Longburn School Principal Jo Emerson says it has been great to see the students engaging with different activities through the online portal and learning destinations.

“The programme has enhanced the students’ motivation to take ownership of their learning, encouraging them to learn new skills and complete a range of exciting activities to achieve the number of hours required to graduate.

“We look forward to embedding the programme further for our students in 2022, supporting them to achieve their goals in partnership with the Children’s University team.”

Speaking on behalf of the university at the graduation ceremony, Provost Professor Giselle Byrnes says she was delighted to see the next generation of young people moving forward in their education journey.

“A huge thank you and congratulations to the graduates and their families. You have completed your learning hours in record time. Your persistence in the face of disruptions related to the pandemic speaks to your resilience and determination. You have already demonstrated the characteristics of lifelong learners.

“For those of you who will return next year to Longburn School and Te Kura o Wairau, I hope you will continue your involvement with Children’s University to achieve the next level of the awards. In conclusion, I hope the activities you have participated in have ignited a spark for lifelong learning.”

Three Massey University researchers have been awarded a total of nearly $200,000 from the Earthquake Commission (EQC), to help New Zealanders better understand our natural hazard risk and identify ways to reduce the impact of those hazards.

Successful applications for this year’s grants were those that aligned with EQC’s research priorities, but also weaved in either a mātauranga Māori, climate change or social science lens over their research.

The programme saw a record number of applicants this year, with around 120 researchers applying for the grant. Thirteen research projects were successful, including those of Associate Professor Julia Becker, Dr Marion Tan and Dr Lauren Vinnell from the Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR).

We asked them to share some information about why their research is important and how it will be carried out.

Associate Professor Julia Becker – Long-term communication of volcanic risk for effective decision-making

Communication of volcanic risk varies over time, depending on the status of the volcano and the population at risk. It is made challenging by factors such as uncertainty about the likelihood and timing of an eruption, and the potential impacts which may vary across space and time. Communication about such aspects are essential to inform decision-making.

Dr Becker’s research will investigate methods of risk communication from previous Tongariro National Park events to draw out effective aspects of risk communication over timeframes of quiescence, unrest, eruption, and post-eruption.

“We will also draw on communication lessons from recent earthquakes to identify if these are transferable to a volcano context. Results will help science, monitoring and response agencies frame and provide advice for decision-making. We will be working on this research with a team at GNS Science, alongside agencies and groups responsible for volcanic risk management in Tongariro National Park,” Dr Becker says.

The project team also includes Dr Emma Hudson-Doyle from JCDR and Dr Danielle Charlton, Dr Sally Potter and Dr Graham Leonard from GNS Science.

Dr Becker is a Senior Lecturer and Doctoral Supervisor at JCDR. She undertakes social science research on a range of natural hazards and environmental issues. Her areas of expertise include perceptions, preparedness, community resilience, emergency management and warnings. She has worked extensively in New Zealand and internationally.

Dr Marion Tan – Improving school-based hazards education outreach programmes: towards enhancing alignment with schools and communities

There are many outreach programmes for schools teaching pupils about hazards and preparedness, Dr Tan says.

“These initiatives come and go, their outputs may be well received in the short-term, and their impacts may create a lasting impression on schools and communities. But with a limited outlook towards sustainability and continuity, resources can be wasted in initiating, reinitiating, and duplicating similar school outreach programmes.”

Through this project, Dr Tan and her team will design sustainable outreach programmes that will have a continuous and long-term resilience outlook for the schools and their surrounding communities.

“We will work with schools and kura in the Bay of Plenty. We will use a participatory design methodology where we will design the outreach programmes with the schools,” she says.

The project team also involves Professor David Johnston and Kelvin Tapuke from JCDR, Professor Anna Brown and Andrew Tobin from Toi Āria: Design for Public Good, and Brandy Alger from QuakeCoRE.

Dr Tan is a post-doctoral fellow at JCDR. She completed her PhD in Emergency Management at Massey in 2020, where she conducted her doctoral research on the usability of disaster apps. She has expertise in the use of technology for disaster management with current research interests in user engagement, citizen science, and outreach and education.

Dr Lauren Vinnell – Changing societal expectations and risk appetite: exploring influences on building earthquake resilience in lower seismic hazard zones

While some areas are at higher seismic risk than others, all of Aotearoa New Zealand can and does experience earthquakes.

“Previous research tells us that people tend to perceive lower risk as low risk; in this case, people might think about their risk in comparison to other parts of the motu which can lead to a false sense of safety and therefore low levels of preparedness,” Dr Vinnell says.

In this research, a collaboration with the University of Auckland and the University of Otago, Dr Vinnell’s team will use surveys and focus groups to understand how people in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau think about and act on earthquake risk.

“We can then use this understanding to inform how we encourage communities in these and similar areas to prepare for hazards such as earthquakes.”

The project team also includes Professor David Johnston, Associate Professor Julia Becker, Dr Emma Hudson-Doyle, and Kelvin Tapuke from JCDR, Professor Jan Lindsay from University of Auckland and Associate Professor Caroline Orchiston from University of Otago.

Dr Vinnell is a post-doctoral fellow at JCDR. She completed her PhD degree in Social Psychology, and is interested in understanding peoples’ judgments and behaviour around preparation for and response to natural hazards. She has experience in experimental survey design and quantitative analysis. Dr Vinnell is currently examining predictors of household preparedness, response to multi-hazard risk communication, impacts of earthquake drill participation, and human behaviour during earthquake shaking.

Last updated: Tuesday 22 March 2022

Six Massey University academics are part of the research team that has just been awarded the prestigious 2021 Rutherford Medal for ground-breaking research on the impact of housing on people’s health and wellbeing.

The Royal Society Te Apārangi presented the medal to Distinguished Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman and the He Kāinga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme from the University of Otago, Wellington, for the research that has quantified the effects of housing interventions on occupants’ health and wellbeing, and informed legislation and policy.

Six Massey staff are involved in the project including Professor Chris Cunningham from the Research Centre for Hauora and Health, who is a founding co-director and principal investigator of the programme and has been involved since it began in 2001. He has led a number of the projects with special emphasis on housing and Māori, including intervention studies designed to improve quality and reduce risks from damp, cold and injury hazards.

More recently, Professor Jereon Douwes, also from the Research Centre for Hauora and Health, and Professor Karen Witten from SHORE / Whariki, have been named investigators on a number of projects. Professor Witten’s involvement has been through Resilient Urban Futures, a programme of research that examined the complexity of urban systems of which housing is a central part with implications for environmental, social, cultural, and economic wellbeing. Her contribution has involved investigating determinants of wellbeing at the neighbourhood scale.

Dr Mikael Boulic from the College of Sciences is a principal investigator at He Kāinga Oranga and completed his PhD as part of the Healthy Housing programme where he investigated indoor air quality (thermal comfort, mould, pollutants) before leading other connected research projects. Dr Hope Tupara and Dr Margaret Wilkie, both from the Research Centre for Hauora and Health, have also been involved.

Professor Cunningham says the programme is the biggest of its kind in the world and is currently funded by a Health Research Council programme grant.

“The programme has been hugely influential in providing the evidence to improve the quality of New Zealand houses and reduce the risks to ill health and injury.  The programme has deliberately used the ‘community trial’ method where all research participants receive the benefit of the numerous interventions which have been tested: insulation, heating and injury risk-remediation of houses.”

The research has shown how straightforward housing improvements to cold, damp and unsafe conditions can significantly reduce rates of infectious, respiratory and cardiovascular disease and deaths, particularly for children and older people.

Outcomes of this research have influenced public policy innovation and implementation, including the Warm Up NZ Programme of insulation retrofitting, the Winter Fuel Payment, and the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act, which requires all landlords to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Housing and Health Guidelines, developed by a WHO International Committee chaired by Distinguished Professor Howden-Chapman. The programme has led to demonstrable health benefits for people involved, as the team has demonstrated in this recent British Medical Journal article Association between home insulation and hospital admission rates: retrospective cohort study using linked data from a national intervention programme.

Professor Douwes says the findings of the research has made a real difference to people’s lives.

“It is a privilege to be part of a team that has been able, collectively, to contribute to improved housing conditions in New Zealand that have already resulted in a significant reduction in health problems resulting from cold, damp and mouldy indoor environments.

“It is a very good example of a cross disciplinary team (Māori health, public health, social science, statisticians, building science, engineering, and economical science are included). Mikael has been fortunate to do his PhD research, and start his research career with the great mentoring of this research team.”

He says while this is a good start, there is a lot more to be done.

“It is wonderful for the critical importance of this work to be acknowledged for this prestigious award, but much more work is needed given the unhealthy living conditions that many New Zealanders still experience every day. 

“There is now strong evidence that living in poorly insulated, cold, damp and mouldy indoor environments may cause respiratory and other health effects in both children and adults.”